They build drone cells in the super becaue you only have worker brood comb in the brood nest. If you give them an empty frame to build some drone in they will stop doing that. They really don't want a brood nest that is scattered but they are desperate this time of year to rear some drones.

checking my hives yesterday, I put queen excluders on this year because I had capped drone's I had to cut out last year before extracting because I didn't use a excluder, I pulled frames yesterday and guest what, in one hive that hag don't went through the excluder and laid drone eggs again then went back down in the brood chamber, cant win for losing :D

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THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic

I made a comment about some drones taking off a couple weeks ago and was told I shouldn't have any and that I don't want drones. I explained that my queen started laying brood early (from what I've been told) and the drones are natural as well as not numerous. I also explained that I had plenty of worker brood and no queen cells and a great pattern and cool bees. The impression I got was that I was failing as a beekeeper. Am I wrong in not worrying? They are happy and busy and when I last looked happily building comb.

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Everyone said it couldn't be done. But he with a chuckle replied, "I won't be one to say it is so, until I give it a try." So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin. If he had a worry he hid it and he started to sing as he tackled that thing that couldn't be done, and he did it. (unknown)

Or a laying worker layed some eggs and they wanted some drones and so they raised them. There's generally a laying worker somewhere in any hive.

Both senarios are possible.

:?: :?: now this is the first time I have ever heard or read this... mike what exactly do you mean every hive has laying workers? I know ever have can have a laying worker if it goes queen less and they can't make a new queen but you mean a queen right hive can have a laying worker also and this doesn't mess up a hive???

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THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic

>Question Question now this is the first time I have ever heard or read this... mike what exactly do you mean every hive has laying workers?

Try a search on "bees" "anarchistic workers" "studies" You'll probably find some research on it. There are laying workers all the time. The other bees try to keep them in line and clean out the eggs they don't want (like drone eggs in worker cells). The number just skyrockets when there is no queen.

> I know ever have can have a laying worker if it goes queen less and they can't make a new queen but you mean a queen right hive can have a laying worker also and this doesn't mess up a hive???

According to the research I've seen, yes, all hives (including queenright hives) have them. It's just a matter of how many and if they other workers can keep them under control.

The line of thinking that having drones is a bad thing, comes from the fact that drones only consume honey they don't make it.

If you follow that line of thinking then a beekeeper is a bad thing too. :D

Fighting the production of drones is going against nature you are trying to eliminate the male of the species.

A normal hive is going to produce drones no matter what you do, if they don't have drone comb available they will make it, you can remove it but they will make it again. As Michael said this will reduce your yields. It simply takes honey to produce comb.

I personally must admit a small amount of fondness for drones. A trick that my dad taught when I was a boy was to snatch bees out of the air at the hives to amuse (amaze) my friends. He had taught me to recognize the drones by the sound they made when they fly. :D

You are not failing as a beekeeper, you are enjoying your bees that is what it is about.